Lesson Title: The Cat and the Painkiller
By: Deidrien Booth
Burning Question:
How can I use a portion of the novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer to help students learn about medicine and illness in the 1800s while seeing a connection between the character of Tom and themselves?
Objective/Introduction:
Students will brainstorm their knowledge of painkillers and be introduced to patent medicines of the 1800s. They will read chapter 12 to see how Twain dramatizes them, then discuss Tom’s character in connection with the incident with the painkiller.
Context:
This lesson teaches new background knowledge while examining the character of Tom. It brings a connection to students with some mischief from their own lives.
Materials:
· Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Puffin Classics). London: Puffin Books, 2008 , chapter 12: “The Cat and the Painkiller”
- Background information on patent medicines (links provided)
Time Span:
1-2 days
Procedure:
1. Begin with students responding in a quick-write, a quote from Mark Twain: “If your mother tells you to do a thing, it is wrong to reply that you won’t. It is better and more becoming to intimate that you will do as she bids you, and then afterwards act quietly in the matter according to the dictates of your better judgment.” (You may have to help students with vocabulary: intimate, dictates.)
2. Ask students to cluster brainstorm the word “painkiller” for two minutes. Ask them to discuss their results in small groups for two more minutes. Finally, discuss as a whole class for two more minutes.
3. Explain to students the background of patent medicines either through information from a website such as:http://www.drugstoremuseum.com/sections/level_info2.php?level=3&level_id=26 or by watching TeacherTube six minute clip: http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=16358&title=Patent_Medicines
4. Read aloud chapter 12 of the novel “The Cat and the Painkiller” as students follow along. Discuss as you read and at the end.
5. Have students write about the incident with painkiller knowing what they do now. Would they have acted like Tom or Aunt Polly or would they have acted differently? How is this incident similar to an experience in their own lives?
Rationale:
This strategy taps any prior knowledge and gives a lot of new information about medicines in the 1800s. It allows students to make a connection with Tom and see his mischievous nature. In addition, it allows a teacher to use a portion of the novel and expose students to Twain and his characters.
Extensions:
The essay can be developed into a multi-paragraph paper or it can remain a shorter piece. There are really two ways to go: students can write from the perspective of whether they would have done the same, or they can write about a similar incident from their own lives. They might even write from Tom’s point of view. In addition, they can add to the ending by rewriting it or writing about what might happen the next day. Students can also use information about patent medicines to create their own advertisements or brochures.
Resources:
· Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Puffin Classics). London: Puffin Books, 2008, chapter 12: “The Cat and the Painkiller”
- The William A. Soderlund, Sr. Pharmacy Museum, located at Soderlund Village Drug in downtown St. Peter, Minnesota. http://www.drugstoremuseum.com/index.php, has a section on patent medicines.
- From TeacherTube.com: http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=16358&title=Patent_Medicines
- From the Hagley Museum and Library is a discussion about the history of patent medicines: http://www.hagley.lib.de.us/library/exhibits/patentmed/history/history.html
- From the National Library of Medicine is an exhibit on the heyday of the Patent Medicine Almanac: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/almanac/heyday.html
- Definition of a quick-write: http://forpd.ucf.edu/strategies/quick-write-strategy-Oct08.html
- The quick-write is a basic literacy strategy that can be incorporated across the content areas. The purpose of the quick-write is to give students an opportunity to reflect on their learning quickly via writing. It usually involves posing a question and giving students a set amount of time (from one to a few minutes) to respond in writing. This writing activity can be used at the beginning, middle, or at the end of a lesson; usually, teachers allocate one minute to a quick-write. Younger and older students can benefit from the quick-write strategy. Punctuation and spelling do not usually count in this type of writing.
- The quick-write is used as a reflective vehicle to reading/learning. Teachers could ask students to reflect on what they read/learned, key ideas from reading, problems they encountered, or questions they still may have about the text(s). Students can record their quick-write statements in a journal, on a note card, on a piece of paper, or on the computer.